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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25902784">Never Be Afraid To Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgles123/pseuds/Higgles123'>Higgles123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Peaky Blinders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:35:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,439</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25902784</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgles123/pseuds/Higgles123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Shelby needs all the love!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arthur Shelby/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Never Be Afraid To Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p1">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Beatrice Marsh had only lived in Small Heath a short while, but already there were two things she knew to take as gospel; never buy a meat pie from O’Hares bakery (unless you were not averse to eating rats off the street) and the Peaky Blinders were law. Even if she hadn’t been forewarned of the latter one by her nosy yet sweet landlady, she would have guessed it the second she laid eyes on the Shelby brothers. There was an intensely terrifying presence that surrounded them but over the past few months, she’d been afforded the chance to catch glimpses of the more human side of them through her job at the local newspaper shop. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Tommy Shelby was as expected; curt yet polite and his shrewd blue eyes noticed everything around him and then some. John flirted innocently with a charming grin that had probably made women fall easily into his bed before he married his wife, Esme. And Arthur was... Beatrice couldn’t help the way her pulse quickened or her stomach fluttered whenever she thought about Arthur. Despite his terrible and violent reputation, to her he was a gentle giant. His eyes had a sadness behind them that reminded her of a lost child and although he was great in height, he held himself as though he wished to be invisible to the world, swinging his arms uncomfortably. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">It was Saturday night and Beatrice had come to the Garrison with a few of the other girls who rented rooms in her lodging house. Her parents had moved her around a lot growing up and as such she was quite good at making friends easily, although she had never had what she would call a true friend. The girls she lived with were nice enough but she wasn’t sure that they were the sort of girls she could see herself making forever friendships with because they just were all so different. Beatrice smiled as the bartender handed the drink of sweet sherry across to her and when she pulled out her purse to pay him he shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“This drink’s taken care of Miss,” he explained. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“By who?” she frowned.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I don’t think it’s really my place to say, Miss,” he mumbled before disappearing to serve the next patron. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Looking around, Beatrice glanced around wondering just who on earth would have paid for her drink when her eyes met with a pair of familiar ones close to the doorway. Arthur Shelby’s eyes crinkled as he smiled widely and Beatrice couldn’t help but smile back, albeit shyly. She mouthed her thanks and then went to join her friends at their table, pretending she couldn’t feel Arthur watching her the entire way. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Across the other side of the room, Arthur watched her sit down and then went to join his brothers and Polly back in the snug. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Oh look at his little face,” John cackled. “Arthur’s in loooove.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Can a man not buy a girl a drink without it being construed as something more than just politeness,” Arthur scowled in embarrassment as he sat down and took his drink in his hand. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Construed? Have you swallowed a fucking dictionary as well?” John continued to wind him up. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Leave him alone,” Polly tutted giving John a clip around the ear. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“What the fuck was that for?” John muttered, pouting like a little boy. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“For picking on your brother. You might think you’re a big bollocks now, John but you forget that I’m the one who cleaned the piss and shit off of those bollocks when they were little, so in my eyes you’re never too old for a fucking slap.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Arthur chuckled into his whiskey while John eyeballed Polly sullenly. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“She’s a pretty thing, Arthur,” Polly commented, lighting up a cigarette. “And ever such a sweet nature. I went into the shop the other day and Mr Jensen was in there midering the poor girl for ages and ages and never once did she try and get him away. Instead she told him to hold on for a moment while she served me and then she would continue her chat with him and even dig out the biscuit tin.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Mr Jensen was a Watery Lane widower whose wife had died when his two sons were young, and then he had lost those very same sons to the war. Everyone knew he was lonely and it was a God awful shame, but if you were caught alone with him for even a moment it was a struggle to get away, and there was only so many times a person could endure listening to the old man talk about his constipation problems. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah well that’s because she’s a nice person,” Arthur mumbled, trying his best to look indifferent but they all caught the way his face softened. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah and I bet if she walked in here right now and asked you to take her home and fuck her, you’d fucking trip over in your haste to do it,” John was seemingly over his short lived mood and back on fine teasing form. “Oh actually no, given the way you look like a lovesick puppy whenever you see her, you’d probably need to wine her and dine her first; tell her you love her and all that shit.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I’ve had enough of this,” Arthur’s chair scraped loudly as he stood. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Sit down Arthur,” Tommy, who had remained silent up until that point, said. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“No I’m going home,” Arthur shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“You’re going to sit down,” Tommy ordered a little more firmly this time. “We’ve come out for a few drinks as a family and to discuss some business. John, you’re going to apologise to Arthur and then shut your mouth.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Apologise for what?” John spat. “Once upon a time he could take a joke and now suddenly he’s got a stick up his arse.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Only when you’re making comments about me and Beatrice,” Arthur argued. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“So you admit there is a you and Beatrice then?” John smirked. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I never said that,” Arthur stammered trying to find a way out of the metaphorical corner he suddenly found himself in. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Arthur’s got himself a girlfriend,” John chortled in glee. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Alright John, pack it in now,” Tommy warned him, seeing Arthur getting more and more angry. “But you know Arthur, if you like the girl you should just tell her.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">   ..........................................  ..........................................  ..........................................                                     </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p1">
  
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p1">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Beatrice felt like a spare part and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience. Not only was she the only one out of her three friends who wasn’t drunk, she was also the only one who hadn’t caught the attention of a random man. Well no, that was a lie. There had been a few who had approached but she had sent them politely on their way. She wasn’t prudish and she appreciated a drunken kiss with a handsome man as much as the next girl but none of them captured her attention in the way Arthur Shelby did. It was ridiculous of course to ever think she stood a chance with someone like him but a girl could dream. After all, her mother always told her if a person had a heartbeat then there was still time for them to dream. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I’m going girls,” Beatrice announced, standing up and grabbing her coat from the back of her chair. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">A chorus of dismay sounded from the table but Beatrice just shook her head and waved them off. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Remember to be back before midnight otherwise Mrs Hines will lock you all out and probably have you little heathens out on the street,” she grinned. “Night everyone, have fun.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Arthur and John were stood outside talking to a man who was obviously another Peaky judging by the cap on his head, and when Beatrice stepped out of the door they all looked towards her. Feeling self conscious she put her head down and began to walk in the direction of home. She didn’t get very far before she heard her name called. Coming to a stop and turning around, she almost bumped into Arthur whose long strides meant he had caught up to her easily. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Good night, Bea?” he asked, making her smile. She didn’t know when exactly it was he had started shortening her name but there was something the familiarity that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah,” she nodded, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “And I’m still sober enough to remember it unlike my friends. I’m fairly certain they’re all going to have sore heads in the morning.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah they looked to be having a good time,” Arthur chuckled. “You off home then?” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yep. I can’t hack it like the youngsters,” Beatrice grinned. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah cos you’re what? Twenty five?”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Twenty eight in two days actually but I won’t grumble at being told I look younger,” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah take it as a compliment,” Arthur grinned. “Anyway, can I walk you home?”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“No don’t be daft,” Beatrice waved him off. “I don’t want to tear you away from your friends and I’ll be fine anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“That’s just my brother so don’t worry about him,” Arthur assured her. “And I can’t leave a young lady to walk home on her own at night. If my mum were alive she’d skin me alive.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Hmm well just in case she should ever raise up from the dead, I wouldn’t like anything to happen to you,” Beatrice teased. “Thank you, Arthur.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“My pleasure,” he answered sincerely. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">As they began walking, Arthur turned briefly to see John and Scudboat making kissing faces at him. Flipping them the middle finger, he shook his head and focused his attention back on Beatrice. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">The night had grown cold and Beatrice hoped that Arthur didn’t notice that her teeth were chattering slightly. Not that she often walked around Small Heath at night, but on the few occasions she had it had been rather unnerving and she kept thinking she could hear someone right behind her every few minutes. In the end she had put her head down and walked as quickly and inconspicuously as possible, letting out a huge sigh of relief when she reached her lodgings. This time however she felt so safe and at ease that she wished she could bottle up the feeling and keep it with her always. The scent of tobacco and whiskey radiated from Arthur but in a way that was comforting and she found herself subtly stepping just a little closer towards him. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I went to the London museum last year and there was a big dinosaur exhibition on. It was really interesting and did you know that chickens are closely related to dinosaurs?” Beatrice cringed at herself as soon as she opened her mouth, but she had just been trying to break the silence. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“You know that makes a lot sense because when I was a nipper, my Granny kept chickens and there was always this one that used to attack whenever it saw a human. He was obviously just harnessing his inner dinosaur,” Arthur joked.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I’m scared of chickens,” Beatrice admitted with an embarrassed laugh. “I just have an irrational fear about them pecking out my eyes. I know it’s stupid but I can’t help it, and in fact it’s not just chickens it’s all birds.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Yeah a few years back there was a spate of people losing their eyes to an angry pigeon gang around here,” Arthur teased her. </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Oh yeah I heard about them,” she smirked. “The beaky blinders.” </span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s2">
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Arthur guffawed loudly and for a moment Beatrice thought he was going to choke, but eventually his reddening face began to return to its normal shade and he let out a puff of air before smiling widely at her.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Pretty as well as funny,” he said, bringing a blush to Beatrice’s cheeks. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I don’t mind,” she murmured. “I mean who doesn’t like being told they’re funny?”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">They walked for a while longer, neither one knowing exactly what to say to the other once more until Beatrice announced that she was at her lodgings.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I know,” Arthur said, before quickly stammering out the next sentence. “I just, what I mean is that it’s not that I know because I’ve been following you or anything untoward like that. No, what I mean is that, well, whenever someone new appears in Small Heath we kind of make it our business to know about them, and by we I mean my family and -“</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“-It’s alright, Arthur,” Beatrice stopped him with a hand on his arm. “If you were a stalker, you wouldn’t be a very good one seeing as you talk to me most days when you come in to buy the morning paper.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“That is true,” Arthur agreed with a grin. “Right well, you better get in before your landlady’s curtains start twitching. She’s got a heart of gold that one but she’s a nosy old cow and a bit of a gossip.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I’ve noticed,” Beatrice smiled. “It’s a good job I never do anything interesting for her to tell anyone about.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“No young gentleman callers, eh?”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Nah,” she shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Now that’s surprising,” Arthur murmured, stepping closer and looking down at her with an expression so soft that she wondered how the rumours of this man’s violence could possibly be true. “The men round here must be fucking blind. Either that or they’re all too afraid of getting turned down by you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Maybe they should just be brave and ask. They won’t know if they don’t ask.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“Maybe they will.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">Their eyes lingered on one another and Beatrice waited with bated breath as his mouth neared her own. His lips were surprisingly soft against hers and when she reached up to capture his face in her hands, he groaned against her mouth. A clatter from inside broke them apart and they both burst out into quiet laughter when they saw Mrs Hines disappear behind the now open living room curtains.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“That’ll be all over Small Heath by tomorrow lunch time,” Beatrice commented with an eye roll.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I don’t care if you don’t,” Arthur smiled, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I don’t care,” Beatrice smiled. “But if she is going to gossip about us to the entire neighbourhood then maybe we should give her something more to talk about.”</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“What were you thinking?” Arthur grinned, wrapping his arms around Bea’s waist and pulling her against him.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I was thinking you could kiss me again,” she murmured, standing up on her tiptoes and pecking him on the lips.</span>
</p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p3"> </p>
<p class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191p2">
  <span class="yiv3833512944ydp23fc1191s1">“I like the sound of that.”</span>
</p>
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